Firearm



E. PUGSLEY May 16, 1939.

FIREARM 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 17, 1935 E, PUGSLEY May 16, 1939.

FIREARM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1935 Patented May 16, 1939 Unire FIREARM Application October 17, 1935, Serial No. 45,396

5 Claims.

This invention relates to rearms and particularly to the `frame-structure of such firearms.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a strong and durable firearm-structure which may be produced at a low cost for manufacture.

Another object is to provide a frame-unit for rearms having an inserted standing-breech capable of fully withstanding shocks and strains to which it may be subjected during the firing of the arm.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and vappended claims, the

present invention includes all features disclosed therein which are novel over the prior art.

In `the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a broken view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical central longitudinal section of a breakdown firearms embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the frame-unit stripped;

Fig. 3 is a front end View of the frame-unit;

Fig. 4 is a top or plan view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken on the line 'I-l of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a broken View in 'vertical central longitudinal section of the frame-shell;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the standing breech-block;

Fig, 10 is a broken vertical central longitudinal sectional view corresponding to Fig. 5, but showing a slightly modified frame-unit embodying the present invention;

Fig. 11 is a perspective View of the standing breech-block of the structure of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a broken vertical central longitudinal sectional View showing still another frame-unit embodying the present invention;

Fig. 13 is a tranverse sectional view taken on the line l3-l3 of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the standing breech-block of the frame-unit of Figs. 12 and 13.

In Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive of the accompanying drawings, a so-called breakdown firearm has been shown, which includes two major units plvoted together for relative movement. The rearunit, which may for convenience of description be designated as the butt-uni comprises in the main a frame-unit, generally designated by (Cl. Li2-4r0) the numeral 20, and a ylouttstock 2| rigidly secured to the said frame-unit. The complementary front-unit of the firearm, designated for convenience of description as the barrel-unit,

comprises in the -main a barrel 22, having a forestock 23 removably secured to its under-side.

The frame-unit 20, before referred to, cornprises two main features, i. e., a frame-shell, designated by the numeral 24,and a standing `breechblock, designated by the numeral 25. The said standing breech-block is located within and rigidly united with the frame-shell 24, which latter, for reasons of economy of manufacture, may be formed of heavy sheet-metal folded up and seamed together as at 26 (Fig. 6) by means of welding, brazing, or in any other suitable manner.

As thus formed, the frame-shell 24 includes a tubular rear portion 21 and a trough-shaped forward portion 28 of substantially U-shaped form in cross-section. Extending rearwardly from the tubular portion 2l of the said frame-shell are an upper Ybutt-attaching tang 29 and a lower buttattaching tang 30, respectively secured at their rear ends to a vertical spacing-block 3|. Both of the ubutt-attaching tangs 29 and 30, before referred to, may be formed integral with the frameshell, as shown.

The upper edges of the side-walls 32-32 of the trough-shaped portion 28 of the frame-shell are cylindrically contoured or otherwise rounded as at 33 to substantially conform in transverse curvature to the curvature of the adjacent rear portion of the barrel 22. Adjacent the forward end of its trough-shaped portion 28, the frameshell 24 is provided with a transverse fulcrum-pin 34, which is mounted at its respective opposite ends in the side-walls 32-32 of the troughshaped portion 28 of the frame-shell 24.

The trough-shaped forward portion 28 of the 'frame-shell provides an upwardly-opening recess of pocket 35, across the forward end of which the fulcrum-pin 3d extends and which is adapted to l'receive a rectangular barrel-coupling-lug 36 forming a rigid feature of and depending from the under-side of the rear portion of the barrel 22. The forward edge of the barrel-coupling-lug 36 is formed with a transverse forwardly-opening notch 31, the forwardly-facing semi-circular wall of which engages and bears upon the rear pora tion of the fulcrum-pin 34, before referred to.

The forestock 23 is provided with a forestockshoe 38 extending within the forward end of the pocket 35 in the frame-shell 24 and having in its rear end a rearwardly-opening semicircular notch 39 receiving the forward portion of the fulcrumpin 34.

For the purpose of rigidly mounting the standing breech-block 25, which is of frusta-conical form, the tubular portion 21 of the frame-shell 24 is provided with a conical seat or pocket 40 concentric with the axis of the barrel 22 and intersecting the forward edge of the portion of the tubular portion 21 of the frame-shell which extends above the trough-shaped portion 28. As thus formed, the recess or pocket 46, in which the standing breech-block 25 is located, includes a forwardly-facing shoulder 4l against which the rear surface of the said standing breech-block seats. The conical seat 40 and the forwardlyracing shoulder 4I, just referred to, extend arcuately around the upper-wall and the respective sidewalls of the tubular portion 21 of the frameshell 24, as will be clear from the accompanying drawings.

The frusto-conical standing breech-block 25 has its forward face fiush with the forward edge of the upper portion of the tubular portion 21 of the frame-shell and is preferably provided with an annular groove 42 in which may be placed a fusible wire-like body of brass or copper, or other suitable material 43. When the breech-block 25 is installed in place in the frame-shell and a suiicient degree of heat is applied thereto, the brazing material 43 will, by capillary action, spread between the periphery of the breech-block and the contacting surfaces of the conical seat 46 in the frame-shell and firmly secure the said breech-block in place.

As illustrated in Fig. l, the firearm includes, in addition to the parts before described, a trigger-guard 44 secured to the under side of the frame-shell 24 and its lower butt-attaching tang 36. Movable within the trigger-guard 44 in the usual manner of firearms is the finger-piece of a trigger 45, which serves to release a hammer 46, a portion of which projects upwardly through the upper butt-attaching tang 29. Mounted upon the upper surface of the frame-shell 24 is an operating-lever 41 having a downwardly-extending cylindrically-contoured operating-head 48 projecting .downwardly through a passage 49 in the upper wall of the tubular portion 21 of the frameshell 24. The said operating-head is riveted or otherwise caused to form a unitary feature of the operating-lever 41 which is located upon the slightly-depressed upper surface 56 of the said frame-shell.

The rear end of the operating-lever is reversely bent or otherwise shaped to provide a fingerpiece 5i by means of which the operating-lever may be swung sidewise to effect the retraction of the locking-nose 52 of a pivotal barrel-lockingmember 53. The locking-nose 52 of the said barrel-locking-member 53 is adapted to enter a locking-notch 54 and serves, when so entered, to lock the butt-unit and barrel-unit in the relative positions in which they are indicated in Fig. 1. The barrellockingmember 53 is mounted upon a transverse pivot-pin 55 extending crosswise between the respective opposite side walls of the tubular portion 21 of the frame-shell 24.

Upstanding from the barrel-locking-member 53 is an operating-finger 56 fitting within a transverse groove 51 formed in the under side of the operating-head 48 before referred to. As will be noted by reference to Fig. 1, the lower portion of the barrel-locking-member 53, including its locking-nose 52, extends beneath the standing breech-block 25. The said breech-block is, as shown, formed in its upper rear edge with a cylin'drically-contoured recess 58 receiving and providing a bearing for the operating-head 48 of the operating-lever 41. The said breech-block is also formed with a substantially-central passage 59 through which the forward end of a firing-pin 66 is adapted to be projected for engagement with the primer of a cartridge (not shown) in the rear end of the barrel 22 in the usual manner of firearms.

In Figs. 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings is shown a frame-shell 6l which, instead of being of a single thickness of metal, is composed of three (more or less) laminations 62, which may be secured together by brazing, welding, or the like. The frame-shell 6| includes a lower butt-attaching tang 63 and complementary buttattaching tang 64, both of which are formed integral with a tubular portion 65 of the frameshell.

Like the frame-shell previously described, the frame-shell 6l is provided adjacent the forward end of its trough-shaped portion with a fulcrumpin 66 adapted for engagement by a barrel-lug, such as 36, before described.

Instead of employing a conically-contoured standing breech-block, as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, a cylindricallycontoured breech-block 61 is employed, which is provided at its forward end with an annular flange 68, and is located in a recess 69 in the frame-shell. The rear face of the flange 68 is adapted to engage a forwardly-facing seat or shoulder 1U in the said frame-shell.

The standing breech-block 61 just above described may be secured to the frame-shell 6| rby brazing, welding, or in any other suitable manner, and is provided with a substantially-central passage 1I intersecting both its front and rear faces and adapted for the passage therethrough of the forward end of a suitable firing-pin. The said breech-block is also formed in its upper rear edge with a cylindrically-contoured recess 12 designed for the reception of an operating-head, such as 48 previously described.

In Figs. 12 to 14 inclusive, a frame-shell 13 has mounted in the interior of its tubular portion 14` a standing breech-block 15 which extends from top to bottom of the space within the said tubular portion 14.

The upper portion of the breech-block 15 is provided with a cylindrically-contoured flange 16 adapted to t within a recess 11 in the upper portion of the frame-shell and to have its rear face engaged with a forwardly-facing shoulder or seat 18. Like the breech-blocks previously described, the breech-block 15 may be secured to the frame-shell 13 by brazing, welding, or the like, and is provided in the upper portion of its rear face with a cylindrically-contoured recess 19 adapted to receive an operating-head such as 48, described in connection with the structure of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive.

The breech-block 15 is also formed with a passage rintersecting both its front and rear faces and designed to have projected through it the forward end of a suitable firing-pin. The lower portion of the standing breech-block 15 is bifurcated to provide a clearance-passage 8l through which the locking-nose of a barrel-locking member, such as 53 before described, may extend for engagement with a suitable barrel-lug.

The invention may be carried out in other speciiic ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. In a rearm in combination, a frame unit adapted to pivotally mount a barrel unit thereon for movement between breech-open and breechclosed positions, said frame unit including an integral frame-shell having a forward troughshaped barrel-receiving portion, an intermediate breech-block receiving portion dened by integral continuations of said trough-shaped portion and a rearward, stock-attaching portion, said intermediate portion formed with a seat adapted to receive a breech-block, said seat having a shoulder interiorly of said frame-shell, a breech-block snugly seated in said seat and having side walls extending downwardly along the side walls of said intermediate portion and integrally united therewith by surface bonding over a substantial portion of the area of contact.

2. In a firearm structure of the stationary breech-block type, the combination with a. frameshell formed of wrought plate-metal and including a forward portion of substantially U- shaped form in cross-section, and a rearward portion of tubular form in cross-section extending above the said forward portion and provided interiorly with a breech-block supporting-shoulder, of a forwardly-facing standing breech-block separately formed from the said frame-shell, said breech-block being housed in the tubular portion of said frame-shell and having an outwardly-extending flange seated within said frame shell and against the breech-block supporting-shoulder and means integrally uniting said breech-block to the frame-shell by a fused metal bond to form a unitary structure therewith.

3. In a firearm structure of the stationary breech-block type, in combination a frame-shell formed of wrought plate-metal and having spaced side walls and a connecting bottom wall, said frame-shell being formed with a forward barrel-seat and a rearward breech-block seat, said breech-block seat being formed with an interior, forwardly-facing shoulder, and a forwardly-facing standing breech-block separately formed from the said frame-shell, said breechblock being inserted in said frame-shell and having a portion extending above said trough-shaped portion, and side wall portions extending downwardly along the side walls of said frame-shell, and said breech-block having an outwardly-extending flange seated within said seat and against said forwardly facing shoulder, and means integrally uniting said breech-block to the frame-shell by a fused metal bond to form a unitary frame structure therewith.

4. In a firearm of the xed breech-block type, a frame comprising a frame-shell formed from plate-metal and having a forward trough-shaped portion defining a barrel seat and having a portion rearwardly of said barrel seat, integral therewith, and provided with a breech-block seat, said breech-block seat having a forwardly facing abutment entirely within said frame shell, a separately formed frame-shell in said breech-block seat and against said abutment and having a first portion extending above the level of the sides of said trough-shaped portion and a second portion extending downwardly from said rst portion substantially to the bottom of said frame-shell, and a fused metal bond integrally uniting said breech block with said frame-shell.

5. In a firearm of the fixed breech-block type, a frame comprising a frame-shell formed from plate-metal and having a forward, trough-shaped portion, constituted by side and bottom walls and defining a barrel seat, and a tubular portion rearwardly of said forward portion, constituted by integral continuations of said side and bottom walls, and by a connecting top Wall, said tubular portion defining a breech-block seat having an external shoulder, and a separately formed breech-block disposed in said breechblock seat, and having a generally circular portion disposed in said seat, a flange abutting said shoulder and a portion extending downwardly into the space between and integrally united by a fused metal bond to said integral continuations and a portion extending above the level of the side wall top edges and integrally united by a fused metal bond to said top wall.

EDWIN PUGSLEY. 

